Petteia

Petteia (aka Single Stone Latrunculi)

Type: Abstract
Status: Public domain / Historical
BGG entry: http://www.boardgamegeek.com/game/21488
Available from: http://ablemedia.com/ctcweb/showcase/boardgameslat1.html

From the Roman Board Games website:

'This is the original version of Latrunculi, and is identical to Petteia, the Greek precursor. The simplicity of the rules and the potential complexity that develops in play suggests that this proposed set of rules may be close to those that kept the Greeks and Romans fascinated for so many centuries.

'In this basic version, an 8 by 8 board was used. They were lined up in the eight squares on each player's side. Similar complete or nearly complete sets of glass stones and boards also suggest that the number of stones matched the number of squares on each player's side, regardless of the board size. We can be very certain, therefore, of this as the starting arrangement in Latrunculi. We can assume, from the Essex find, that Black plays first.

'The objective is to either capture or immobilize all the enemies stones. The principle of play is to surround an enemy on two sides, in a horizontal or vertical line. Multiple stone captures are probably permissible if we take Piso's words literally when he said, "You win and both your hands rattle with the captured group."'